MP questions sustainable futures funding decision

The Member for Chaffey, Tim Whetstone, has welcome the latest round of Riverland Sustainable Futures funding but says he is concerned it will benefit only a handful of private businesses.

Another five Riverland businesses yesterday received a total of more than $2 million in State Government funding, for projects to drive economic development.

They include three fruit packing companies and the grape supply company CCW Co-operative.

Mr Whetstone says the latest recipients will have an unfair advantage over other local businesses.

"I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth but what this futures fund money could have been for was all of the region's benefit, it's for all of the community and not just for private businesses to be able to grow their businesses, to the detriment of other businesses that they compete with," he said.

"I do have some reservations when that fund was set up to diversify the region's economy and yet we continually see money poured into agriculture and packing sheds and essentially it's picking winners over other packing sheds which is really not diversifying our economy."